Download The Teacher-Student Learning Game

‘Classroom First Responder’ Series © 2015 Jim Wright
www.interventioncentral.org
1
How to: Manage Groups Large and Small: The Teacher-Student
Learning Game
Description: The Teacher-Student Learning Game (Nelson, Benner, & Mooney, 2008) is a procedure for managing
instruction that can work with large and small groups, as well as with individual students. While appropriate for typical
students, the Game has also been found to be effective with those with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs). The
Game offers incentives for appropriate behaviors, is not coercive, and prompts students to apply positive peer
pressure within their groups to earn Game points and resulting incentives. The procedure is designed to be feasible
for any teacher to use.
Preparation: To prepare for the Teacher-Student Learning Game, the instructor:

teaches behavioral expectations. The teacher develops classroom rules for acceptable behavior. A short
set of rules is developed for the most common learning situations (e.g., large-group instruction; small-group
instruction; cooperative learning activities; independent seatwork). Each set of rules should be short (i.e., no
more than 5 rules per situation); specific; stated whenever possible as positive behaviors to be displayed
rather than as negative behaviors to be suppressed; and described in language easily understood by all
students. Through modeling, guided practice, and regular feedback, the teacher verifies that students
understand and are able to follow these rules.

selects reinforcers to support the Game. The teacher chooses those reinforcers ('rewards') to be given to
winners of the Teacher-Student Learning Game. The instructor will decide what reinforcers will best
motivate the group. While praise is always recommended, the teacher may also elect to have each winner
choose an item from a prize box; allow the winning group to select by vote a reward from a reinforcer menu;
or assign points to a winning team to be redeemed at a future time for prizes or privileges.

creates a Game T-chart. Using a flip-chart of small, erasable white-board, the teacher draws a T-chart, with
the left column of the chart labeled 'Teacher' and the right column labeled 'Students'.

introduces students to the Game. The teacher describes the procedures of the Game (provided below) to
students.
Procedure: The Teacher-Student Learning Game can be used with groupings of any size, from one student to an
entire class. To conduct the Game during a particular activity, the teacher:
1. announces that the Game is in effect. The teacher ensures that all students are paying attention and
says, "For this activity, we are going to be playing the Teacher-Student Learning Game." At the instant the
Game begins, the instructor completes the first observation of the group's behavior and awards points to the
'Students' or 'Teachers'--as described in the next step.
2. assigns points for appropriate and unacceptable behaviors. While teaching, the instructor observes
student behaviors. Periodically, when the teacher notes that most or all students in the group are behaving
appropriately, the instructor awards 5 points to the group, recording those points in the 'Students' column of
the T-chart as a 5-hashmark tally: The instructor also says, "Students score five points for [insert
description of positive behavior or rule being followed]."
‘Classroom First Responder’ Series © 2015 Jim Wright
www.interventioncentral.org
2
Whenever the instructor observes a rule violation, that instructor awards 5 points to the teacher, recording
those points in the 'Teacher' column of the T-chart as a tally. The teacher also says, "Teacher scores five
points; some students did not show [insert description of positive behavior or rule not being followed].See
Figure 1 for an example of a T-Chart.
Figure 1: Sample Teacher-Student Learning Game T
Chart
In a typical Game session, the teacher is likely to make a total of 4 to 8 observations/point assignments. If
the Game is effective, students will typically win in approximately 80 percent of sessions (Nelson, Benner, &
Mooney, 2008).
3. provides reinforcers or feedback. If, at the end of the Game, the student team wins, the teacher praises
their behaviors and supplies any earned reward. If the teacher wins, the instructor explains what student
behaviors prevented their victory and discusses with them what goals they can set for improved behavior at
the next Game session.
Tips for Use. The Teacher-Student Learning Game can be used intermittently as one method for instructional
management. Typically, the instructor would use the Game more frequently in the first months of school and taper its
use later in the year as student behaviors stabilize or improve. Teachers are encouraged, however, to use the Game
at any time when a group is failing to follow classroom rules--perhaps even introducing the Game in the middle of a
class period if needed.
Reference
Nelson, J. R., Benner, G. J. & Mooney, P. (2008). Instructional practices for students with behavioral disorders. New
York: The Guilford Press.